


There’s a Monster Under My Bed!

by Suxren



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bad Parent Lyall Lupin, Canon-Typical Violence, Family Fluff, Gen, Heavy Angst, Werewolves, kinda i just hate him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-25 20:00:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30094338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Suxren/pseuds/Suxren
Summary: The damage had been done, and Fenrir Greyback decided that Lyall Lupin’s son would be the one to pay the price.
Relationships: Hope Lupin & Remus Lupin, Hope Lupin/Lyall Lupin, Lyall Lupin & Remus Lupin
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	There’s a Monster Under My Bed!

**Author's Note:**

> ok a few things first. i use a few welsh words so i’m going to give the translation to all of them.
> 
> fy - my  
> f’annwyl - my dear  
> cariad - love  
> fy bach un - my little one
> 
> also the violence isnt that graphic imo but tw for violence.

The warm summer sky burned an eternal red-orange over the little village in Wales, its gorgeous glow grazing over the slowly yellowing grass that spread throughout the area. On the edge of that small village, hidden in the shadow of the woods, lived a small family. The Lupin household, like any other in the area, were taking advantage of the cool summer breeze that softly blew through the village, causing leaves to fly and intricate wind chimes to sing their unquiet song.

The youngest of the clan ran about, squealing happily as his mother, Hope Lupin, chased the little four year old around the yard, arms outstretched and fingers wiggling, a clear threat of tickles if he was caught. “I’m gonna get you, Remus!” she sang, gaining ground on her little boy.

Remus giggled loudly, a gleeful boyish sound that made Lyall Lupin grin happily where he sat alone on the porch, _The Evening Prophet_ open on his knee. It had been almost a month since Lyall had his encounter with Fenrir Greyback at the Ministry, and the man still thought about it every day that passed. Greyback had been brought in for questioning following the deaths of two Muggle children, but the werewolf had successfully convinced the Wizagmont that he was merely a Muggle man. Lyall had cursed the committee when they believed this and refused to detain Greyback until the next full moon, claiming Lyall to be unreasonable. It was a foolish loss of temper on Lyall’s part when he called werewolves beasts deserving of death in front of Greyback himself, but the damage had already been done even if he regretted his words. Lyall’s stomach flipped uneasily and he cringed remembering the look of utter loathing in Greyback’s eyes that day, permanently engraved in Lyall’s mind. With a startling jolt, Lyall remembered something grave. Tonight was the full moon.

“Annnnnd I gotcha, pumpkin!” Hope shouted, and there was a child-like scream as her arms enclosed Remus that abruptly cut off into happy giggles as his mother’s fingers dug lightly into his sides. The woman’s cheek squashed into Remus’s mop of blond curls as they fell to the ground, and Hope quickly began to smother her son with spontaneous kisses from the top of his head, to the chubby apples of his cheeks.

Lyall’s grin wavered, suddenly hyper aware of the sky, and how close his wife and child were to the wood.

“Hope, maybe we should get Remus to bed?”

Hope planted one last kiss on Remus’s nose, finally letting him wiggle away from her grip. With undeniable fondness, Hope watched as he stumbled away before turning her attention to Lyall. “Just a few more minutes, Lyall, honey. He’s having so much fun.”

The boy’s parents watched their son gallop around the yard, little arms outstretched to catch the glittering fireflies that swarmed around his head. Lyall almost yielded at the joy in Remus’s smile, but he promptly shook his head when the flash of Greyback’s eyes reappeared from a memory.

“Not tonight,” he said regrettably. “I just... Get Remus a bath and into bed. Please?”

Hope pursed her lips, eyeing her husband with slight suspicion; Lyall hadn’t mentioned his outburst at the Ministry to her. “Whatever you say, _f’annwyl_.”

As Hope called for Remus to come inside, Lyall sighed in relief, blessed that his wife wasn’t too questioning with his quizzical ways. The guilt was heavy upon his chest, and Lyall began to question if Hope should be aware of his mistake.

But when Hope squeezed Lyall’s shoulder with Remus perched on her hip, both baring bright eyes and contagious smiles as they passed, he imagined her beautiful face twisting into a mix of fear and resentment for Lyall’s thoughtless blunder. Lyall couldn’t stand to face her disappointment.

“Bath time, _fy bach un_ ,” said Hope with a kiss to Remus’s cheek as she carried him along to the only bathroom on the first floor.

The boy wiggled around in his mother’s arms and pouted, “Not wittle, Mama.”

“No, of course not, _cariad_ ,” she conceded falsely, using the Welsh endearment she reserved just for him; Remus would always be her little boy. “Very big.”

Remus beamed with triumph.

Hope set Remus down on the closed toilet seat and started to draw his bath, letting her fingers trail under the steady stream of water coming from the faucet. While Hope Lupin had no problem accepting Lyall and his magical attributes, as he liked to call it, she had plainly refused to give up electricity and insisted that as long as there wasn’t a single lick of magical blood in her, then they’d be living the Muggle way. However this never stopped Lyall from using his wand to fix the temperature in the house during snowstorms, or to magically heal Remus’s wounds when he’d come crying into his mother’s side about tripping on the many rocks outside. During these particular circumstances, Hope was grateful for the existence of magic.

After deeming the bathwater warm and high enough, Hope twisted the knobs off and retracted her hand, motioning for Remus to get in. The boy tumbled into the water and Hope quickly caught him, laughing once she spotted the many toys packed in his arms.

“That many toys, huh?”

Remus hummed, absently rolling a toy car along the graying porcelain bathtub. “Wanna play cars wif me, Mommy?”

Hope smiled sadly at her boy, reluctant to end his fun. She wished she could always give Remus what he wanted. “I’m sorry, _f’annwyl_ , but your father wants you to be quick.”

Remus’s tiny shoulders slumped and Hope’s heart squeezed at the pout drawn across his small lips. “But hey,” Remus looked up hopefully, and she leaned towards him as if entrusting her son with a big secret. “If you do hurry, I’ll sneak you a bit of chocolate before bed,” she said lowly, retracting and shooting him a mischievous wink in the process.

The boy gasped, as if he couldn’t believe his mother’s words, before diving for the bottle of soap. Hope laughed heartedly as he began to lather soap into his blond curls without her help, dark green eyes bright with excitement.

A few minutes and splashes later, Remus was clean and cradled in a soft towel. With a towelette, Hope rubbed at his blond curls, extracting a small giggle from Remus when she didn’t stop after a few seconds. “Mama, stop!”

“Alright, alright,” she let up, standing to her full height. Hope held out her hand for Remus to take. “Let’s get you changed and into bed, _fy cariad_.”

Hope led him upstairs, rickety steps creaking under their combined weight. She made sure to hold onto Remus’s hand extra tight during the ascend, knowing fully how clumsy her son can be.

The Lupin cottage was small, but it had everything they needed. A small kitchen with just enough room for a dining table; a sitting room with comfortable couches and even a small telly; a fully functioning Muggle bathroom; and last but not least, a master bedroom. It had been perfect the first few years of Lyall and Hope’s marriage; not too small, and not expensive either. However, after Remus was born, the only available space for a nursery was the attic. So the month leading up to Hope’s due date, Lyall worked to make the attic functional enough for their baby boy. The first few years were hard, though, with Remus’s fear of the attic leading to many tears and tantrums that only ended when Hope took him to their room where he would sleep between her and Lyall. Only in the past year had Remus finally agreed to sleep in his bedroom by himself, and even more recently did he stop complaining about a monster being under his bed after Lyall had performed a fake charm to reassure Remus. Needless to say, it had been a long journey.

Hope pushed open the slightly cracked bedroom door, a warm breeze whisking her blonde flyaways away from her face.

She frowned, dropping Remus’s hand and walking towards the attic window, noticing how the darkening sky could easily be scene through the softly moving curtains.

“That’s odd...” she whispered, inspecting the window. “Remus, _cariad_ , did you open the window earlier?”

Remus wasn’t looking at her when she turned to look at him. Instead, he had made a b-line for his dresser, quickly getting dressed. Hope suddenly recalled their deal. “No, Mama.”

“Hmph.” Maybe Lyall had came up here earlier to let some cool air in.

She closed the window, but kept the curtains open knowing that the moonlight usually provided Remus with some light. Right now, the sky was settled a burnt orange.

There was squeaking of mattress springs, and Hope turned to find Remus leaning against his pillows, grinning at his mother. “M’ready for bed, Mommy. Wemeber chocolate?”

Hope walked over and leaned down to plant a short kiss on his forehead. “Of course, _fy bach un_. I’ll be right back.”

Perhaps it was the prospect of chocolate that kept Remus from protesting after his mother called him little, because all he did was watch her retreat out of his bedroom, smile comically wide. Remus threw his short legs over the side of his bed, kicking and swinging them back and forth against his bed frame, giddily waiting for his mommy’s return. He watched the last flecks of orange retreating below the horizon. Remus remembered his mommy always calling the sunset beautiful. He didn’t really know what that meant, but he assumed it was a good thing. He liked the moon. Did that make the moon beautiful?

There was a unsteady intake of breath and Remus whipped around to look at the door hoping to see his mother. His smile slowly slipped away, noticing she was not there.

Remus tried to keep his breathing steady, not letting his mind jump to conclusions. His dad had promised him his magic would keep the monster away. It couldn’t be him, it was impossible. Remus took a deep inhale and slowly released it, deciding he would be brave. He’d look under the bed without running for his mom and dad.

But when Remus slipped off the bed to lower himself down to his knees so he could look, there was a resolute creak from under the bed, and he squealed, scrambling up and away to the other side of the room.

He would’ve screamed for his parents, but before he could catch his breath to do so, his mom had returned. “Mommy!”

Hope spun to look at her son who was now cowering behind one of his big teddy bears he received for Christmas the past year, green eyes wide and tearful. The exact opposite of a few minutes ago.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” she asked, setting the bar of chocolate down on his dresser before rushing to kneel at his side. “What happened? Are you alright?”

Her heart broke as she watched his bottom lip tremble. “There’s a monster under my bed.”

Hope blinked, and then let out a audible sigh of relief, afraid something bad had happened in her short absence. She stood, pulling Remus up to her hip. He came willingly.

“Listen here, _cariad_ ,” she said gently, holding him tightly in her arms while he buried his head into her neck. “Daddy got rid of the monster ages ago. It can no longer get you.”

“But- but-“ he said, voice wobbly and thick with unshed tears. “There was a bweathing and when I stood, the floor cweaked.”

Hope rocked him back and forth, cooing and carding her fingers gently through his damp curls. “You probably heard yourself, cariad, and look—“ she walked closer to his bed and she stopped when her foot made contact with a loose floorboard, emanating an identical sound to the one from earlier, “—see? You probably made the creaking sound yourself.”

Remus didn’t move his head from her neck. “Can I just sleep wif you and daddy.”

She sighed, knowing Lyall wouldn’t like that. Instead she offered another compromise. “How about this,” Hope hummed. “If you can be a big, brave boy, I’ll give you two pieces of chocolate.”

The sniffling stopped and, very slowly, Remus looked up at her. “Weally?”

Hope kissed his forehead. “Really, baby.”

That’s all it took, because Remus grinned again, blinking tears away from his eyes. “Okay.”

After settling Remus under the blanket and retrieving the chocolate from the dresser, Hope sat herself at her son’s side. “Now,” she began with mock sternness, “don’t tell your father about this. This is our secret, okay?”

Remus bounced himself in place, grinning sheepishly at the thought of their little secret. “Yes, Mama.”

Hope broke off three pieces of chocolate — two for Remus, and one for her — and handed him his pieces. “Cheers,” she said, touching their pieces together before they both ate their chocolate. Hope finished hers with one bite, but she lovingly watched as Remus tried to savor his two chunks. Despite his effort, Remus also finished his in no time at all. “Tank you, Mama.”

“‘ _Thank you’_ , _cariad_ ,” she corrected with no real bite behind her words, “But you’re welcome.” Hope reached out a single hand and cupped her baby boy’s full cheek, thumb running over the smooth apples that were pink with health and life. “Anything for you, _f’annwyl un_.”

At that moment, Remus yawned and Hope pulled her hand away. “You should be getting to sleep,” she said dotingly.

“Not sweepy,” Remus argued, but a second later he yawned again.

Hope grinned, eyebrow arched. “Sure you aren’t.” She reached over Remus to grab his stuffed black dog, handing it over to the boy. He happily took it and sunk deeper into the covers while Hope pulled them higher, tucking Remus in nice and snug. “Goodnight, _fy cariad_. I love you to pieces.”

“Nighty,” he yawned again, eyelids slipping closed as the last of the orange glow died behind the horizon. “Love you.”

With one last kiss to his forehead, Hope flicked off Remus’s lamp and left, closing the door as she went.

Remus had been teetering on the very edge of sleep when he was jolted back to a drowsy consciousness.

Confused, he sighed and sleepily turned over to get into another comfortable position. Not even seconds later, there was sharp intake of breath from under him, louder than the first time Remus had heard it, and his eyes blew wide.

It was like Remus’s vocal cords tied itself into a knot, leaving him unable to scream for help, as the breathing picked up to a loud and unsteady rate. The floorboards began to shift noisily and all Remus could do was stare in horror at his blue painted wall as the monster under his bed scratched at his bedpost behind and below him, slowly maneuvering itself out from under its confines. The moon from the window cast enough light to create a shadow over the room, and Remus, mouth stuck open in terror, watched as a large figure began to rise from the floor, its breathing fast and labored.

It was silent.

And then—

“Hello there, little one,” it rasped.

All at once, Remus found his vocal cords again and screamed bloody murder.

Lyall Lupin liked to think he had it all. At least everything a lower working class man could have.

He resided in a good village and lived in a good cottage that was safe to most possible dangers, and on top of that, he had a good family — _greater_ than good actually. Lyall had a wonderful family. Hope Lupin was a fiery woman he fell in love with as soon as he spotted her running away from a buggart many years ago. She was everything he wanted and more: tall, gorgeous, intelligent, unbelievably accepting, and kind. When introduced to the wizarding world, she didn’t run. In fact, she took the change in stride, absorbing new information and adjusting easily. He loved her more than life.

And then Hope had given him Remus. His pride, and his only son. A bubbly, outgoing boy who would be starting school in the fall before receiving his Hogwarts letter. There wasn’t a single boy in Wales more loved than Remus Lupin.

His life was perfect.

Up until now.

When Remus screamed, Lyall jumped so violently that he sent his cuppa flying from the table and onto the recently swept floor where it shattered and split everywhere. Hope, who had been washing the dishes, lost grip of a china plate and sent it tumbling back into the watery depths of the sink.

They both looked at each other, stunned at the pure horror in the scream, but Remus screamed again, loud enough that Lyall subconsciously hoped that the neighbors didn’t call the Muggle police. Fear gripped his heart as he lunged for his wand.

Remus screamed again, louder evermore, and Lyall couldn’t possibly have moved faster up the tottering stairs than he did in that moment, before bursting open his son’s closed door. What Lyall saw before him shook the man so deep to his core that he had to grip the doorframe to keep himself from falling over.

“Greyback.”

Lyall begged his eyes to be mistaking him, hoping the lightness in his head was making him hallucinate. But as Fenrir Greyback began to slowly turn, sharp human teeth grinning at him reproachfully, Lyall knew that wasn’t the case.

Past him, Remus had pushed himself as far away from the werewolf as possible, little arms clutching his stuffed dog tightly to his chest that was heaving with great difficulty. Hope appeared at his shoulder not even a moment later, and gasped.

“Who are _you_?”

Greyback sneered, lips stretching over yellow teeth. He stood tall and foreboding in the middle of the small room, face gaunt and lined with scars. His hair was matted with filth and grease, shaggy in the worst of ways. The threadbare clothes he wore hung off his strong figure, and gray hair peaked up in more places than one. A wiry scruff framed his jaw and traveled down his throat where Lyall noticed he was breathing heavily.

“Would love to bite you, sweetheart,” he taunted, yellow eyes fixed on Hope Lupin. “I would love to see if you look just a pretty with blood dripping from your neck.”

“Enough, Fenrir!” Lyall shouted, standing in front of his wife, the quiver in his voice betraying any level off toughness he tried to portray. His skin whitened over his knuckles where he gripped the handle of his wand. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Oh, no,” he said, grinning once again, but his voice was nothing short of a growl. “I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be tonight.”

“Werewolf...” Hope whispered over his shoulder, sharp nails digging into Lyall’s arm and then suddenly she wailed, “Lyall, the moon!”

But before she’d even finished her sentence, Greyback gave an awful lurch, finally letting his body embrace the wolf he’d been trying to push away the last few minutes. Remus, who had been terrified of the stranger just moments ago, now sat staring in wild fascination as the man’s face and teeth began to elongate, becoming sharper and yellower than ever before. Someone screamed (Remus didn’t know if it was him this time or not) as Greyback fell to his knees as he began his final process of transforming, his clothes ripping away from his growing body, gray hair sprouting down his arms and up his chest. Seconds later, a great wolf burst from the skin of a man. The werewolf reared back, a long howl tearing from its throat.

Lyall raising his wand to defend himself, protectively shielding his wife from view, but then Greyback turned and Lyall had to watch in paralyzing shock as the werewolf sprang at the four year old boy instead.

“NO!” Hope screamed and went to push past her stunned husband, but she was too late. Remus, who was still horrifically mesmerized by the beast, didn’t even have time to scream or to prepare himself before Greyback’s teeth sunk deep into Remus’s shoulder, penetrating the soft tissue with ease. “Not my baby! Please, not my _cariad_! Have mercy, don’t kill him!”

But her wails and pleas were pointless to the ear, because just after Greyback’s teeth made contact with Remus’s shoulder, he let out a shriek so loud and agonizing, nothing else could be processed. With that logic that comes when the mind is panicking, Lyall thought he had a new fonder for his nightmares.

Fenrir Greyback’s jaws unhinged and dropped Remus back onto the bed, little body now convulsing wildly as the werewolf venom swam its way into his bloodstream, rewriting his stars for the worst.

Hope Lupin let out a sob of utter despair as she rushed forward, dodging the spells her husband sent at the beast while she tried to get to her son’s side. Finally hit with a Stunner, Greyback snapped his bloody jaws once before leaping through the attic window, shattering the glass and disappearing into the night.

Lyall Lupin fell against the doorframe, sinking to his knees where he sat and helplessly watched his precious son finish the last few stages of the lycanthropy rewriting his DNA. Hope called to him desperately, imploring Lyall to just heal him, fix him, save their boy. But he couldn’t.

The damaged had already been done. And his son had paid the price.

**Author's Note:**

> fuck lyall lupin.
> 
> anyway, i hope y’all enjoyed!!


End file.
